Deerhunter24
Hero Member
Hey all,
Last year, I discovered an old town site that is no longer there...Like not a single trace. Interesting enough...it was a town from maybe 1860 to shortly after the turn of the century. One of those towns that faded out after the railroad failed to go through.
Anyway, there were probably a few hundred residents, a few saloons, 2 hotels, a school, etc.
The main part of the town was in an area that is just two fields now.
I asked and received permission late last year (November) to hunt one of the fields that had at least 6 homes and a blacksmith shop according to this old map anyway.
When asking permission, the landowner (approximately 70 years old now), told me that a few people had been tried their luck at detecting there in the past. He said he remembers two different times allowing people to go out there. I asked if they did any good. He said he guessed that they didn't because they never came back again. He said it was probably over 20 years ago when someone last came out there.
Not sure if I posted it last year, but I went out there for a 6 hour hunt on November 14 last year. I took 2 detecting buddies with me.
Judging from the amount of iron in certain spots...I don't think this site has been hammered by any means. That being said, we didn't get rich, but we found a few coins.
My buddy Jim scored 5 Indianheads. My friend Rick got 3 Indians, an 1859 Canadian Large Cent, a Liberty Nickel and an old French Coin from 1855.
That day I only scored 2 coins, but one was my oldest silver yet! An 1839-O Seated Dime. I also scored an 1866 Indianhead Penny.
Just giving this background because I felt the area was worth returning to. Sure, I only found 2 coins in 6 hours, but its the whole idea that you could score a big one out there.
Anyway, this past Monday, I returned to talk to the landowners. They really are very friendly people. I was able to secure permission to hunt there again this year. Unfortunately, I will only have a few days until they plant it again.
When talking with them, they informed me of an alfalfa field they worked up last year. That also had a home on it. The 70 year old homeowner told me that he never actually saw it in his lifetime, but his father had told them about tearing it down. He said it was torn down in the 1930's. He said nobody ever went detecting out there.
This field is far from flat. It super clumpy as its newly worked up.
I went out there for 2 hours on Tuesday this past week.
My first find rang a little high and I was thinking wheat penny, not indianhead. Sure enough, it was a wheat penny. I was actually kind of bummed out because I was thinking maybe this place wasn't as old as the landowner thought. However, I turned it over and it had a date of 1913 on it. So that made me a little more optimistic.
About 5 minutes later I scored an 1890 Indianhead and a few minutes later...another Indianhead, this one with a date of 1903.
About 20 minutes went by and I found what I thought was going to be another Indianhead as it gave me similar numbers on the Explorer.
I was shocked when I flipped a very small silver coin out of the hole. It turned out to be an 1881 H Canadian Half Dime.
I also found a Columbus Coin/Token. It says Machinery Hall on the back. Limited research indicates that these were given out as souveniers at the 1892-93 Chicago World Fair.
Last, I found a small copper object that says Holmes, Booth, & Haydens on it. Has a patent date of Jan 11, 1857. I think it was off of a lamp.
Happy Hunting,
Deerhunter24
Last year, I discovered an old town site that is no longer there...Like not a single trace. Interesting enough...it was a town from maybe 1860 to shortly after the turn of the century. One of those towns that faded out after the railroad failed to go through.
Anyway, there were probably a few hundred residents, a few saloons, 2 hotels, a school, etc.
The main part of the town was in an area that is just two fields now.
I asked and received permission late last year (November) to hunt one of the fields that had at least 6 homes and a blacksmith shop according to this old map anyway.
When asking permission, the landowner (approximately 70 years old now), told me that a few people had been tried their luck at detecting there in the past. He said he remembers two different times allowing people to go out there. I asked if they did any good. He said he guessed that they didn't because they never came back again. He said it was probably over 20 years ago when someone last came out there.
Not sure if I posted it last year, but I went out there for a 6 hour hunt on November 14 last year. I took 2 detecting buddies with me.
Judging from the amount of iron in certain spots...I don't think this site has been hammered by any means. That being said, we didn't get rich, but we found a few coins.
My buddy Jim scored 5 Indianheads. My friend Rick got 3 Indians, an 1859 Canadian Large Cent, a Liberty Nickel and an old French Coin from 1855.
That day I only scored 2 coins, but one was my oldest silver yet! An 1839-O Seated Dime. I also scored an 1866 Indianhead Penny.
Just giving this background because I felt the area was worth returning to. Sure, I only found 2 coins in 6 hours, but its the whole idea that you could score a big one out there.
Anyway, this past Monday, I returned to talk to the landowners. They really are very friendly people. I was able to secure permission to hunt there again this year. Unfortunately, I will only have a few days until they plant it again.
When talking with them, they informed me of an alfalfa field they worked up last year. That also had a home on it. The 70 year old homeowner told me that he never actually saw it in his lifetime, but his father had told them about tearing it down. He said it was torn down in the 1930's. He said nobody ever went detecting out there.
This field is far from flat. It super clumpy as its newly worked up.
I went out there for 2 hours on Tuesday this past week.
My first find rang a little high and I was thinking wheat penny, not indianhead. Sure enough, it was a wheat penny. I was actually kind of bummed out because I was thinking maybe this place wasn't as old as the landowner thought. However, I turned it over and it had a date of 1913 on it. So that made me a little more optimistic.
About 5 minutes later I scored an 1890 Indianhead and a few minutes later...another Indianhead, this one with a date of 1903.
About 20 minutes went by and I found what I thought was going to be another Indianhead as it gave me similar numbers on the Explorer.
I was shocked when I flipped a very small silver coin out of the hole. It turned out to be an 1881 H Canadian Half Dime.
I also found a Columbus Coin/Token. It says Machinery Hall on the back. Limited research indicates that these were given out as souveniers at the 1892-93 Chicago World Fair.
Last, I found a small copper object that says Holmes, Booth, & Haydens on it. Has a patent date of Jan 11, 1857. I think it was off of a lamp.
Happy Hunting,
Deerhunter24
I'd be gridding that place to death. Congrats on the half dime....your first?
